In the brush

8 Miles

Sarah let me go for a bike ride this evening after work so I decided to bust out the mountain bike and make the best of the limited remaining light at Riverfront Park.  I donned my new mountain bike shorts that I picked up at the bike swap for a screaming deal.  I made it over to Riverfront with just an hour of daylight left.  My ride was fun but rather uneventful with the exception of brushing up a few deer.  The sun started setting and I was at the river bank near the entrance to the park.  Now, I should have just taken the main trail to the gate and gone home with plenty of time to bet home before dark.  I should have, but I didn't.  Instead I determined that I had enough time to work my way out of the park through the single track trails.  I took a trail along the bank that I'm fairly familiar with but haven't taken it since last year.  The flooding last summer has washed out part of the trail and new trail has been cut further inland.  Unfortunately, the trail has already been overgrown with dense, thorny brush.  I had to push the bike through in places, constantly getting caught up on the thorns and branches.  I should have turned around but the trail was pretty clear ahead of me.  I made it about 50 feet before the brush closed back in on me but I kept  going.  After doing this a couple times, I was determined to go forward rather than back track through the brush.  Finally, I came upon some fallen trees that I'd have to scramble over and then push through the brush, but this time there was no clearing ahead of me.  I decided I'd have to turn around if I had any chance of getting out before dark.  So back through the brush again.  Ugh!  I finally made it out of the brush and picked up another trail to get me out of the park.  I rolled into my backyard, scratched and bleeding, with only minutes to spare before dark.  Another good ride!

Rain, rain go away

24  Miles

I decided to go for a ride after work today.  I really needed it since I haven't really been in the saddle for weeks so I headed out despite the wind and rain.  I almost turned around after the first three miserable miles but I pushed through and eventually the rain and wind let up.  I decided to do the Hillcrest ride.  It was late evening by the time I got there and the deer were all out.  I must have seen three dozen of them.  As I was cruzing back down the hill, I turned the corner to find a large does standing in the road.  I grabbed the brakes and started yelling at the deer but the stupid thing would not budge.  I wasted all that momentum on that dumb animal.  It finally moved and I cautiously passed trying not to startle it back into my path.  I swear one of those dear are going to kill me some day!

In a pinch

I was in a hurry to get home tonight and it seemed like I had to stop at every intersection for a car. When I got to 27th Street, I had to wait several minutes before finally finding a tight window to cross between cars.  I mashed hard on the pedals as cars in the southbound lane quickly approached.  I cleared the street only to find a huge pothole in front of me.  "Oh man, that's going to hurt!"  Instinctively I dug into the pedals and pulled up with my feet successfully jumping the pot-hole.  No big deal, right?  Well, I was riding my 1990 Raleigh Talon with its heavy steel frame, bike rack, and loaded bike bag.  I can bunny hop lighter bikes and I can bunny hop my heavier Specialized mountain bike when clipped in, but I've never been able to bunny hop this bike before.  It's surprising the things you can do in a pinch.

So, after bunny hopping once, I was determined to repeat it.  In the alley behind the house I tried once again.  Failed twice and nailed it the third time!  This is going to open a whole new world for me.  Time to start making some Danny Macaskill style videos!

check out these videos if you don't know who Danny Macaskill is.  The guy is amazing.  ( http://www.dannymacaskill.co.uk/)

Racing Home

Yesterday I had to race home to pick up the girls and take Sydney to Activity Days.  I waited behind several slow cars and even passed one on 1st Ave.  When I finally hit the bike lane on S 28th I took off like a rocket and passed the remaining cars and actually left them in the dust.  I love being able to move faster than traffic.  I felt kind of like the guy in the comic below.  Too bad I was rushing home to get in a car and sit in that same traffic again!

Bike Ride with the Kids

This Saturday I was feeling like garbage, Sarah was sleeping (working night shifts) and the kids were driving me nuts so I decided to wear them out instead of them wearing me down.  They decided they wanted to go for a bike ride to McDonald's to get some ice cream and play in the play-land.  Sounded good to me.  I needed to get moving anyway if I stood any chance of feeling better that day.  So I got the kids ready, set up the trailer and an hour later we were on the road.  (I've found that everything takes four times as long to do with young kids.  Our bike ride was no exception either.)

Finally on the road, we set out at a leisurely pace which quickly turned into 14 mph.  Not bad for a seven year-old with 16 inch tires and six gears that she doesn't know how to use.  Actually not at all bad for a nine year-old on a single speed cruiser or a thirty-something dad on a 20 year-old mountain bike hauling a bike trailer with a three year-old, our gear, and Evie's bike.  Yes, I said Evie's bike.  We pulled that out at the top of Two Moon Park and let her run around for a bit.  She hasn't quite figured out the strider yet but she's cute with it anyway.

We took our time and stopped on occasion so the kids could play.  We loaded up on ice cream and stopped at the river on the way home.  Tara was all but swimming in that cold water so I decided it was time to go home before she got too cold and gave up.  I'm not sure what I would have done if she'd given up on the side of the trail (she almost did).  She doesn't fit very in the trailer very well anymore and I'd still have to get her bike back. 

Anyway, we all had fun and racked up 11 miles in the process.  I have bigger and better things in mind for them.  Hopefully we can get up to 20 or 30 miles by this summer.  We're planning a mini summer tour of Northern Idaho!

There are photos and a video on my family blog at treesquirrels.blogspot.com